Sunday, 22 May 2016

Naturally Beautiful - honey + avocado

I've never really been one for facemasks, not for any particular reason, it's just not something I'm that into. However, over the past few weeks with the hopeful snatches of summer we've seen, wanting to go makeup-free has been on my mind and I've turned my attention towards my skin which, admittedly, has been getting a little 'out of control' over the past month or so.

I tend to dismiss redness, blemishes and lumps on my skin during winter and blame it on the lack of sunlight, harsh weather conditions and (around the festive time), too much alcohol and rich food. I've been in denial recently about how bad it's got and only really shocked myself into realising this as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the wing mirror coming back from circuits with no make up on the other day. I didn't recognise the skin as my own!

I've never really struggled with acne or bad skin, I had my fair share of spots as a teenager but nothing to comment on really. But now, as I see more and more of my friends go makeup free,
I get totally self-conscious at the thought of people I know seeing me with these huge red blotches, and a couple of times I've actually skipped going to the gym in the morning just so I don't have to parade my makeup free face! Other instances include slapping on the CC cream moments after waking at a friends house in a bid to harmonise my poor face.

I know, it's ridiculous.

I don't know what the driving force behind this sudden break out is - my bets would be stress, lack of sleep and water and potentially a reaction to having been a bit more 'lax' in my diet over the past few weeks - but I'm determined to sort it in time for summer!

So on Friday, I tried out my very own homemade facemask and ohmygod what a revelation. No chemicals or shit ingredients, just two kitchen staples known for their skin enhancing qualities.

Ladies and gents, I give you... the avocado & honey mask.

You'll need:

1x avocado (ripe)

1x tablespoon runny honey

Naturally, the size of the avo will determine how much mask you make. I had baby avocados in and used a whole one. If you've got a normal, medium to large sized avocado I'd say it would make enough for two or three masks.

Simply mash it up (this is where it helps to be ripe; easier to mash), and drizzle over a tablespoon full of honey. Mix thoroughly.

When it comes to Vitamin E, avocado is on a pedestal and deemed as fantastic for the skin. So say, it can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles due to its antioxidant qualities, helping to protect the skin from free radicals. It's also high in oleic acid, which maintains moisture in the skin, and also helps to reduce inflammation.

Honey is thought to be naturally antibacterial, making it a good choice when trying to combat acne. It's moisturising and soothing (which explains the soft, silky feel) and great for giving skin a 'glowy' quality. I thought it would leave my skin feeling a bit sticky, but not at all.

I read up on this on the articles below, so if you're interested, check them out: